Green-sweeping brush attachment for a golf putter



Oct. 31, 1967 T. HEIL Filed Feb. 28, 1966 INVENTOR. Theodore Hen Mm wwzz/ A TTYS United States Patent 3,349,422 GREEN-SWEEPING BRUSH ATTACHMENT FOR A GOLF PUTTER Theodore Heil, Lodi, Califl, assignor of one-half to Virgil M. Watts, Lodi, Calif.

Filed Feb. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 530,606 6 Claims. ('Cl. 15-160) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device adapted for removable attachment to a golf putt-er for lightly sweeping a putting green along the path of a ball to be subsequently putted on the green in the direction of the cup.

Due to the location of the greens on many courses in somewhat close proximity to trees or shrubs which lose their leaves in the fall season or even at other times, and though the greens may have been thoroughly cleaned off by the greenkeeper before the days play begins, it frequently happens that some leaves, or other debris which would interfere with the desired direction of movement of a putted ball toward the cup, remain on the green when a player reaches the same.

At present, itis necessary for the player to reach down and by hand remove any such leaves or debris in the path of a ball since such matter cannot be efliciently swept aside by the rigid-and relatively thick-based metal putter blade.

It is, therefore, the'major object of this invention to provide a flexible and relatively light green-sweeping brush arranged to be detachably mounted on a putter blade, and which brush may be easily and quickly removed from such blade when it is desired to use the putter for its intended purpose.

By reason of the above green-sweeping brush attach ment, any foreign matter on a green in the path of a ball to be putted may be removed without the golfer having to reach down and remove such matter by hand, and without the golfer having to carry a special green-sweep ing club in his bag. At the same time, no damage to nor roughing up of the green is involved in the use of the brush attachment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a greensweeping brush attachment for a golf putter which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and convenience of use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable green-sweeping brush attachment for a golf putter and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is .a side elevation of one form of the greensweeping brush attachment as mounted on a putter blade.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of such brush attachment, detached from the putter blade.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the brush attachment as mounted on a putter-blade hood.

FIG. 4 is a further modified form of the brush attachment partly in section, as mounted on a putter hood; the brush being shown in full lines in a retracted position, and in dotted lines as advanced to an operative position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, and particularly at present to the form of brush attachment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 denotes a conventional form of putter blade mounted on and projecting from the lower end of a shank 2. The brush attachment comprises a sleeve, indicated generally at 3, which is of generally rectangular form both longitudinally and transversely; su-ch sleeve being slightly shorter than the blade 1. The sleeve 3, which is preferably made of sheet spring metal, includes a transversely straight base plate 4 connected along one side to the lower edge of an upstanding side plate 5. The side plate 5 in turn is rigidly connected at its upper edge to one side of a top plate 6; the other side of said top plate being rigid with the other and depending side plate 7. The side plate 7 terminates at its lower edge a short distance from the base plate 4, as clearly shown.

The internal dimensions of the sleeve 3, which must be made to fit putters of a substantially common size and shape, are such that the putter blade 1 is engaged by said sleeve with a firm-holding friction fit; the top and base plates 6 and 4 yielding vertically relative to each other so as to frictionally engage the top and bottom surfaces of the putter blade. Also, said putter blade rests at the bottom flatly on the base plate 4 and-being slightly wider than the upsprung distance between the side plates 5 and 7 at their 'lower edgesforces the side plate 7 outwar-dly. This causes the putter blade at opposite sides and adjacent the bottom to be frictionally engaged by the corresponding side plates. At the same time, the sleeve 3 may be readily manually placed on or removed from the blade by relative longitudinal movement of the blade and sleeve.

The brush, which is attached to the sleeve 3, comprises a base 8 fixed on and extending lengthwise on the underside of the base plate 4 of the sleeve; there being flexible bristle tufts 9 secured in and depending from the base 8.

With the above described brush attachment and by reason of the firm engagement of the sleeve 3, with the putter blade 1, an efficient green-sweeping operation may be quickly and easily accomplished by a proper manipulation of the putter shank 2. Thereafter, when a ball-putting operation is to be performed, the brush attachment may, of course, be removed in a matter of a few seconds, and may as quickly be replaced when necessary.

Some golfers prefer to maintain their putter blades, when not in use, protected by a leather hood. Such a hood, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises a bladeenc'losing sleeve 10 and .a zipper-closed, putter-shank surrounding extension 11 integral with and upstanding from the sleeve. When the extension is closed it prevents undesired slipping of the sleeve 10 from its blade-enclosing position.

When such a protective hood is used, the brush attachment may take the form of flexible plastic brushing elements or teeth 12 mounted on and projecting downwardly from a flexible base strip 13 cemented to and extending along the bottom surface of the sleeve 10, as shown in FIG. 3.

Instead of the plastic brushing device shown in FIG. 3, the form of brush attachment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be mounted on the hood. This form of the brush attachment comprises a rigid but light open-ended elongated brush housing 14 which is suitably secured to and extends along the hood extension 11 on one side thereof. An elongated, flexible bristle brush 15 is slidable into and out of the housing 14 from the lower end thereof; the brush 15 at its upper end being mounted on and depending from a head 16 slidably fitting in said housing 14. The head 16 is secured to the lower end of an upstanding rod 17; the upper end of said rod being provided with a finger-engaging ring 18.

Upward movement of the head 16 and brush 15 is limited by cross stops 19 mounted in the housing 14 on opposite sides of the rod 17 and near the upper end of said housing. When the head 16 is engaged with said stops 19, the lower end of the brush 15 is immediately adjacent the lower end of the housing as shown. Advance of the brush 15 from the housing 14 is, of course, effected by pushing down on the ring 18', the rod 17 being then guided by the stops. Downward movement of the brush is limited by the engagement of the ring 18 with the top of the housing 14, as indicated in dotted lines; the head 16 then remaining confined in the housing while the flexible brush 15 projects well below the housing 14 (as well as the sleeve in an expanded condition and an operative position, as indicated.

The green-sweeping brush attachment in the forms shown in FIG. 3, and FIGS. 4 and 5, is used in the same manner as described in connection with the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the attachment is removed with the protective hood.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a green-sweeping brush attachment for a golf putter as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the green-sweeping brush attachment for a golf putter, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A green-sweeping brush attachment for a golf club having a ball-engaging blade of predetermined shape on the lower end of the shank of said club, a hood of flexible material shaped to correspond to the shape of the blade and adapted to removably fit over and enclose said blade, and a depending brush mounted on the hood in position to engage the green below the blade.

2. An attachment, as in claim 1, in which the hood is formed with an extenison adapted to substantially fit and project upwardly on the shank of the club, said extension being split down the back, and disengageable closure means for the split.

3. An attachment, as in claim 1, in which the brush comprises a row of flexible relatively closely spaced teeth depending from and extending along the bottom of the hood.

4. An attachment, as in claim 1, including means mounting the brush on the hood for retraction upwardly and to a position above the bottom of the blade.

5; An attachment, as in claim 1, in which the hood is formed with an extension adapted to substantially fit and project upwardly on the shank of the club; and said mounting means including an upstanding housing secured on the extension on one side thereof, said housing being open at its lower end, the brush being retractable into the housing, and an actuating element connected to the upper end of the brush to retract the same into said housing from its depending position.

6. A green sweeping attachment, as in claim 5, in which said actuating element is a slidable upstanding rod fixed at its lower end to the brush; the upper end of the rod projecting out of the corresponding end of the housing, and a finger-engaging piece on said upper end of the rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 202,613 10/1965 Lion 15-160 XR 575,159 1/1897 Johnson 15105 XR 1,524,421 1/1925 Brady 273-32 2,415,730 2/1947 Davis 15200 XR 2,485,822 10/1949 Goldrich 15144 XR 2,571,606 10/1951 Peterson 15277 2,988,049 6/1961 Bean 15277 XR 3,210,111 10/1965 Fallon 273162 XR CHARLES A. W-ILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

P. FELDMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GREEN-SWEEPING BRUSH ATTACHMENT FOR A GOLF CLUB HAVING A BALL-ENGAGING BLADE OF PREDETERMINED SHAPE ON THE LOWER END OF THE SHANK OF SAID CLUB, A HOOD OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL SHAPED TO CORRESPOND TO THE SHAPE OF THE BLADE AND ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY FIT OVER AND ENCLOSE SAID BLADE, AND A DEPENDING BRUSH MOUNTED ON THE HOOD IN POSITION TO ENGAGE THE GREEN BELOW THE BLADE. 